27 January 2024
We arrived in Phnom Penh in the middle of the afternoon after a six-hour hassle-free bus ride from Ho Cho Minh City. The bus company, IBIS, also looked after the passport and visa formalities leaving Vietnam and entering Cambodia. They did a very nice job too, for an all-in fare of about USD 40 per person.
After booking into our hotel, we went for a walk to stretch our legs and viewed the Independence Monument. Modelled on the central tower of Angkor Wat, it was built in 1958 to commemorate the country’s independence from France in 1953. It also serves as a memorial to Cambodia’s war dead. At a nearby market, we bought a very cheap SIM card, got some cash and then had some street food for dinner.
Our first impressions of the city were very positive. Phnom Penh may still struggle to be defined by anything other than its grim past under the Khmer Rouge (even today the Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum counts amongst the most visited sights). Yet the Khmer Rouge fell in 1979; more than 70% of the current population is under 30 and they’re out to definitively rewrite the image of Cambodia's capital.
We found a rapidly rising metropolis with glittery skyscrapers, luxury hotels and a vibrant arty scene. It seemed to us that innovation is happening here, as the city sheds the cloak of the past and looks towards the future with optimism.
In addition, sandwiched between the culinary powerhouses of Thailand and Vietnam, we did not expect Cambodia to be much of a foodie destination but we were taken aback by the quality and creativity of the local food scene (including deep-fried tarantulas).
We started our sightseeing at the National Museum of Cambodia, home to the world’s finest collection of Khmer sculpture: a millennium’s worth and more of masterful Khmer design. It's housed in a graceful terracotta structure of traditional design (built from 1917 to 1920) with an inviting courtyard garden, just north of the Royal Palace.
With its classic Khmer roofs and ornate gilding, the Royal Palace once dominated the skyline of Phnom Penh. It's a striking structure near the riverfront, bearing a remarkable likeness to its counterpart in Bangkok. Being the official residence of King Sihamoni, parts of the massive palace compound are closed to the public.
The adjacent Silver Pagoda is so named for its floor, which is covered with 5 tonnes of gleaming silver. You can sneak a peek at some of the 5000 tiles near the entrance, but most are covered for protection. Inside is a series of lavish Buddha statues made of precious metals.
In 1975, Tuol Svay Prey High School was taken over by Pol Pot’s security forces and turned into a prison known as Security Prison 21 (S-21); it soon became the largest centre of detention and torture in the country. S-21 has been turned into the Tuol Sleng museum, which serves as a testament to the crimes of the Khmer Rouge.
Between 1975 and 1978, some 20,000 people held at S-21 were taken to the Killing Fields of Choeung Ek. Like the Nazis, the Khmer Rouge leaders were meticulous in keeping records of their barbarism. Each prisoner who passed through S-21 was photographed, sometimes before and after torture. The museum displays include room after room of harrowing B&W photographs; virtually all of the men, women and children pictured were later killed. Mylene took the audio tour (I declined to visit the place being rather squeamish).
After this profoundly depressing experience, a complete change of scene was needed and was duly provided by the Russian Market, a sweltering bazaar for souvenirs and discounted name-brand clothing. So called by foreigners because the predominantly Russian expat population shopped here in the 1980s, it also has a large range of handicrafts and antiquities (many probably fake), including miniature Buddhas, woodcarvings, silks, jewelery and so on. There are some good food stalls there too if you are feeling peckish. The Central Market and Night Market are also worth a mention.
On our last evening in the city, we went on a 90-minute sunset cruise (including a free beer) departing from the riverfront. The boat passed the Royal Palace up to the junction of the Tonle Sap, Mekong, and Bassac rivers. Here we viewed the sunset over Phnom Penh and after passing under the Japanese Friendship Bridge, we returned to the port.
Later, we took a sleeper bus with IBIS from the Night Market to Siem Reap, the next destination on our journey and home to the world famous Angkor Wat.
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